Practicing my free throws to help the Lakers

The Senate was unable to pass its "climate" bill. Excuse me while I exhale a CO2 laden sigh of relief and say a prayer of thanks for having a "do-nothing" Congress.

The bill seemed to wend its way through the Senate on the idea that doing "anything" was better than doing "nothing" even though there are plenty of climate scientists who say that man's contribution to the warming trend is so insignificant that even if we do the "most" we can do the effect would probably be outside of our ability to measure. It would be like thinking my free throw practice at the schoolyard down the road would somehow help the Lakers win the NBA title. It's better than doing nothing at all, right!?

Let's examine the language in the Washington Post article by Juliet Eilperin that appeared in my local paper:

The outcome highlighted the obstacles that will stand in the way of enacting meaningful cuts in greenhouses gases, even with a new president and Congress next year.

First, were these cuts "meaningful"? Eilperin seems to think so, yet in the next paragraph she writes:

The Lieberman-Warner bill would have cut greenhouse gas emissions 18 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and nearly 70 percent by mid-century, a significant reduction but still short of what most climate scientists say is needed to moderate global warming.

Can we talk? Does anyone really believe that a small group of people in Washington, D.C. can write this on a piece of paper and make it happen? With people flooding across our border with Mexico, our population growing at a quick pace, and no new nuclear power plants springing up, there is no way that in "real terms" this nation can cut its CO2 emissions below 2005 levels. And why 2005? In case the honorable senators haven't checked, it's 2008 already!

Take note of the phrase "most climate scientists say...." Really? Does she actually know this? I don't think so. This is one of those "big lies" the corporate media has mindlessly repeated so often it has achieved an urban myth status on par with the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie story.

For a few days about three months ago, I thought it was only a matter of a year or two before the press would begin to sort out the true truth of man's role in "global warming." I'm less convinced now.

However, all is not lost. I am writing a personal "bill" that will require me to get to 18 percent of my former level of confidence by Novemember and achieve 70 percent of my former confidence by next summer.

I hope to pass this bill by 2010.